Lawmakers considering pesticide restrictions to limit bee die-offs

A type of pesticide many beekeepers blame for mass bee die-offs would come under tighter regulation under a bill filed in the Massachusetts legislature in January.

Gerry Tuoti Wicked Local Newsbank Editor

WHY IT MATTERS: Pesticides containing a classification of chemicals called neonicotinoids have come under mounting suspicion by beekeepers, who have reported high death rates among their honeybees.

LOCAL IMPACT: Bees play a direct impact on human food sources.

A type of pesticide many beekeepers blame for mass bee die-offs would come under tighter regulation under a bill filed in the Massachusetts legislature in January.

“I believe this is a responsible attempt to limit the amount of these pesticides in the environment, while recognizing the need to use these chemicals responsibly in agriculture,” said state Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston, the bill’s main sponsor. “When they’re used judiciously and properly, we can mitigate the impact on pollinators.”

Over the past decade, pesticides containing a classification of chemicals called neonicotinoids have come under mounting suspicion by beekeepers, who have reported high death rates among their honeybees. Nationally, annual honey bee losses have averaged around 30 percent over the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dykema’s bill (HD.2382), which has 134 co-sponsors, would bar anyone who hasn’t completed a state training and certification program from applying neonicotinoid pesticides. It would also be illegal to apply the pesticides during blooming season. Stores and garden centers selling plants pre-treated with the pesticides would be required to clearly label them.

Maryland and Connecticut recently enacted similar restrictions on the pesticides, and the European Union put a moratorium on their use in 2013. Last October, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey reached a $75,000 settlement with Bayer CropScience, the world’s largest agrochemical company, to resolve allegations that the company misled consumers about its pesticides potential risks to bees and other pollinators.

Ann Rein, president of the Plymouth Beekeepers Association, said she recently lost 80 percent of her bees. She’s convinced neonicotinoids are a major problem.

“Whoever thought putting poisons in the food systems was a good idea? The whole issue boggles my mind,” she said. “The only thing driving this is money, not love of nature or common sense.”

In one of the largest scientific inquiries into the effects of neonicotinoids, the international Task Force on Systemic Pesticides released a 2015 report that analyzed more than 1,100 peer-reviewed studies, concluding that the chemicals pose a serious risk of harm to honey bees and other pollinators.

There are other studies with conflicting conclusions.

Brad Mitchell, director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and a former toxicology expert for the Massachusetts Toxicology Board, believes states like Massachusetts should wait for the federal Environmental Protection Agency to further study the matter and issue guidance before enacting neonicotinoid restrictions or bans.

Mitchell said many studies have been flawed. He doesn’t believe the science supports that neonicotinoids are the primary cause of large-scale bee die-offs. Parasitic mites, diseases, and poor bee husbandry, he argues, could be more significant factors.

“Part of our concern is too many people are looking at this as part of a quick fix,” Mitchell said. “We don’t believe neonics are the main issue here.”

He added that the certification process would be costly and burdensome for farmers.

“We can always be more careful, and there’s always further research to be done, but I don’t think this bill is justified from a scientific point of view,” he said.

Mitchell pointed to state data concluding that in the 14 colony die-offs the state most recently examined, investigators did not find pesticide exposure to be responsible.

Dykema said that while there is no “smoking gun,” there seems to be a preponderance of evidence pointing to neonicotinoids as a problem.

“I know that research does continue, and it would not surprise me if further limitations are needed in the future,” she said.

In the meantime, she said, her bill offers a “step forward” that could potentially win support from farmers.

Essex County Beekeepers Association member Marty Jessel, who has keeps hives in Boxford and Haverhill, said that while he supports Dykema’s bill, he doesn’t think it goes far enough. He wants to see an outright ban on neonicotinoids.

“I think this is a good first step to have people more aware to know what’s going on and be more schooled to use the pesticides,” he said. “It’s a start.”

Since neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides, they are present in the plant tissue and pollen, making them a threat to bees regardless of when they were applied, Jessel said.

“We need bees for pollination and we need bees to pollinate the food,” he said. “It almost gets down to if you want to eat, you need to have food, and if you want to have food, you need to have bees to pollinate.”